Coventry

Coventry's population grew in the decade to 2011. Data from the census show there were changes in housing tenure, ethnicity and religion.

The population reached nearly 320,000

In the 10 years leading up to the latest census, the population of Coventry increased by 5.4%, from just under 301,000 to 317,000.

The addition of just over 16,000 people means this area's population increased at a slower rate than the total population of England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Coventry was home to, on average, 23 people per football pitch-sized piece of land (about 7,140 square metres).

Population density was higher than the average across the West Midlands

Population density (usual residents per 7,140 square metres) across the West Midlands, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

A younger Coventry

Census 2011 data also show a change in the local population's average age.

Between the last two censuses, the median age of Coventry decreased by one year, from 35 to 34 years.

This city had the second-lowest average age in the West Midlands and remained younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of about 10,000 people between the ages of 20 and 29 years, while the population between 30 and 39 years decreased by about 2,000.

About 18% of people in Coventry are aged between 20 and 29 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Coventry by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of households in Coventry that rented privately increased from 10% to 21% between the last two censuses.

In 2011, just over one in six (17%) households lived in social housing, compared with 18% in 2001. The percentage of Coventry households that owner their home decreased from 69% to 61%.

The proportion of privately rented homes increased faster here than in any other local authority district across the West Midlands. As a result, this area had the region’s highest proportion of privately rented homes.

Private renting in Coventry increased by 11 percentage points

Percentage of households in Coventry, the West Midlands and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Ethnicity in Coventry

The number of people in Coventry from the White ethnic groups increased from about 250,000 in 2001 to about 230,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 84% to 74% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by more than the average across the West Midlands (from 89% to 83%) and the average across England (from 91% to 85%).

The number of people in Coventry from the Asian or Asian British ethnic groups increased from just over 36,000 in 2001 to about 52,000 in 2011 (from 12% to 16%). The number of residents from the Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups increased from just over 5,400 to just under 18,000 (from 1.8% to 5.6%).

About 8,200 people (1.7%) said they were from Mixed/multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian, White and Black African, White and Black Caribbean or Other Mixed), up from about 5,200 in 2001 (2.6%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the ethnic profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between ethnic groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population from the White ethnic groups in Coventry decreased by 10 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Coventry by ethnicity, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Coventry

The number of people in Coventry that described themselves as having no religion increased from about 45,000 in 2001 to about 73,000 in 2011. This represents a change from 15% to 23% of the local population.

The percentage increased by less than the average across the West Midlands (from 12% to 22%) and the average across England (from 15% to 25%).

The number of people in Coventry that described themselves as Christian decreased from about 200,000 in 2001 to about 170,000 in 2011 (from 65% to 54%). The number of people who described themselves as Muslim increased from just under 12,000 to about 24,000 (from 3.9% to 7.5%).

About 20,000 people (8.0%) did not state their religion, down from just over 24,000 in 2001 (6.4%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population without a religion in Coventry increased by 7.9 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, West Midlands and Coventry by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people worked long hours

Long hour working fell in Coventry, but at a slower rate than all other local authority areas in the West Midlands, except East Staffordshire.

Every local authority area across the West Midlands saw a fall in the proportion of people working long hours, as the regional average fell from 13% to 9.4%.

Across the West Midlands, the proportion of people working long hours fell from 13% to 9.4% between the last two censuses, while the proportion in nearby Nuneaton and Bedworth fell from 11% to 8.5%.

In 2011, just under 1 in 15 (6.7%) people aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Coventry said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, compared with 9.1% in 2001. The percentage that worked less than 16 hours in a week increased from 2.0% to 3.7%.

Long hour working in Coventry decreased by 2.4 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents aged 16 to 74 (in employment the week before the Census 2011) in Coventry, the West Midlands and England that said they had worked over 49 hours the week before completing the census, March 2001 and March 2011

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